1930 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster Dimensions, Size & Specs

Production
Model Year:1930
Useful Information

About 1930 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster

The 1930 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster stands as one of the most legendary and opulent vehicles from the early 20th century, representing the pinnacle of luxury and exclusivity in automotive design. Produced by Bugatti, a marque renowned for its combination of engineering excellence and artistic craftsmanship, the Type 41 Royale was conceived as the ultimate luxury car tailored for royalty and distinguished clientele. The Esders Roadster variant is among the rarest of this series, combining the unique styling of a roadster body with the monumental scale and prestige of the Royale name.

Measuring significantly larger than typical vehicles of its era, the Type 41 Royale was known for its immense size, which dominated the luxury car segment. While exact dimensions for the Esders Roadster are not widely documented, the overall Type 41 Royale typically measured approximately 6.4 meters (21 feet) in length, with a width exceeding 2 meters (around 6.5 feet) and a considerable height to complement its presence. This car was powered by an enormous 12.7-liter straight-eight engine, delivering unparalleled power and smoothness for the time.

The Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster featured exquisite coachwork reflecting the bespoke tradition of pre-war luxury automobiles, with attention to detail and refined aesthetics that showcased Bugatti’s design philosophy. Its open-top roadster form offered a distinctive blend of sportiness and sophistication, appealing to collectors and enthusiasts appreciative of automotive art as much as engineering prowess.

Weighing in well over 3,000 kg (approximately 6,600 lbs), the Royale Esders Roadster combined sumptuous comfort with monumental presence, reaffirming its status as a moving palace on wheels. Today, the Bugatti Type 41 Royale remains a symbol of automotive aristocracy and innovation, treasured by museums and collectors worldwide for its rarity and historical significance.

Exceptional Features

1930 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster Highlights

Discover the standout features that make the 1930 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster a leader in its class

Exceptional Engine Power

Powered by a massive 12.7-liter straight-eight engine, the Bugatti Type 41 Royale delivers unparalleled power and torque for its era, making it one of the most powerful cars of the 1930s.

Luxurious and Unique Coachwork

The Esders Roadster body was custom-designed by renowned coachbuilder Jean-Henri Esders, featuring elegant and opulent styling with sweeping fenders and a distinctive convertible layout.

Limited Production and Rarity

Only six Bugatti Type 41 Royales were ever built, with the Esders Roadster being one of the rarest and most collectible versions, symbolizing exclusivity and prestige.

Advanced Chassis and Suspension

Featuring a massive and rigid chassis, the Royale Esders Roadster offered advanced suspension systems for improved ride comfort and stability unprecedented in cars of its time.

Coachbuilt Luxury Interior

The interior was meticulously crafted with high-quality materials, including fine leather upholstery and exquisite wood trim, providing a chauffeur-driven luxury experience.
Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

Have a question? Please check our knowledgebase first.

The 1930 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster is truly monumental in size. It measures approximately 6.4 meters (about 252 inches) in length, making it one of the longest production cars ever produced. Its width is roughly 2 meters (79 inches), and it stands around 1.85 meters (73 inches) tall. The wheelbase, which is the distance between the front and rear axles, measures about 4.3 meters (169 inches). These dimensions exemplify the car's grand and imposing road presence, befitting its status as a luxury vehicle designed for royalty and heads of state.

Compared to modern luxury roadsters, the Bugatti Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster is significantly larger, particularly in length and wheelbase. While contemporary roadsters typically range from 4 to 4.5 meters (157-177 inches) in length, the Royale stretches to approximately 6.4 meters (252 inches), offering immense interior space and a grand chauffeur-friendly rear compartment. Its width of 2 meters (79 inches) is also on the higher side compared to today’s standards. The Royale's size emphasizes its role as a limousine-style roadster with an extended chassis and large coachbuilt bodywork, contrasting with the more compact, sportier designs of today’s roadsters.

The Bugatti Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster weighs approximately 3,175 kilograms (around 7,000 pounds). This substantial weight is due to its massive chassis, large and robust 12.7-liter inline-eight engine, and luxurious coachbuilt bodywork made with heavy materials typical of the era. The car's considerable weight results in a stately and smooth ride rather than nimble handling. Its suspension is designed more for comfort and stability rather than sporty cornering. This reflects its grand touring and luxury limousine character, aimed at providing unparalleled presence and comfort rather than agile performance.

Given its extraordinary dimensions, the 1930 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster does not fit into a standard residential garage. Most typical garages have door openings around 2.4 to 2.7 meters (8 to 9 feet) in height and widths of about 2.4 to 3 meters (8 to 10 feet), which are generally designed for much smaller, contemporary cars. With a length of roughly 6.4 meters (252 inches) and width near 2 meters (79 inches), parking the Royale would require a specially designed or larger garage space, such as those meant for limousines or vintage collector cars. Its size makes it impractical for standard home garages.

The interior of the Bugatti Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster was crafted with luxury and spaciousness in mind. Despite being a roadster, it offered a large passenger compartment with plush seating for four occupants—two in the front and two in the rear. The interior was typically appointed with high-quality materials such as fine leather upholstery and wood veneers, emphasizing comfort and grandeur. Given the extended wheelbase of about 4.3 meters (169 inches), rear passengers enjoyed ample legroom akin to a limousine, making it a distinguished vehicle for its day, focused on chauffeur-driven elegance rather than sporty two-seater roadster seating.

The Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster stands at around 1.85 meters (73 inches) tall, which was relatively tall compared to other luxury cars of the 1930s. Many luxury vehicles from that period typically ranged between 1.5 to 1.7 meters (59 to 67 inches) in height. The Royale’s taller stature was due to its huge, upright coachbuilt body and the substantial ground clearance necessary for smooth rides on less developed roads. This height adds to its imposing road presence and combined with the roof design helped provide generous headroom emphasizing its limousine-like comfort and grandeur.

The Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster is a special coachbuilt version of the original Type 41 Royale chassis. While the earlier Royale models generally followed a limousine or sedan style, the Esders Roadster variant featured a more bespoke roadster body with unique styling elements yet retained the massive 6.4-meter (252 inches) chassis and the signature powerful 12.7-liter engine. It offered a sportier and more elegant profile compared to the boxier earlier versions but preserved the lavish craftsmanship and grand proportions. This generation emphasized exclusivity with unique coachwork by Esders, a French coachbuilder, making it rarer and more collectible.

While exact ground clearance figures are hard to find, the Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster had relatively high ground clearance typical of luxury touring cars of its era, estimated around 180-200 millimeters (7 to 8 inches). This high clearance was necessary to handle rough road conditions common in the 1930s, before widespread pavement. It allowed the vehicle to maintain a smooth ride over uneven surfaces but contributed a higher center of gravity which further accentuated its stately, rather than performance-oriented, driving dynamics. This clearance was a balance between comfort, drivability, and grand touring usability.

The Bugatti Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster is often considered one of the most extravagant and largest luxury cars of the 1930s. Compared to ultra-luxury contemporaries like the Rolls-Royce Phantom I or Duesenberg Model J, the Royale was longer, heavier, and featured a bigger engine at 12.7 liters versus the 7.7-liter Duesenberg or 7.7-liter Rolls-Royce. The Royale's emphasis was on ultimate luxury, exclusivity, and sheer presence, with bespoke coachwork and unparalleled craftsmanship. While other luxury cars emphasized refinement and power, the Royale stood apart as a monumental statement of automotive opulence, with dimensions and capabilities that remain extraordinary even today.

The Bugatti Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster is an extremely rare and exclusive automobile. Bugatti produced only six Type 41 Royales in total, and only one was the Esders Roadster coachbuilt version. This extreme rarity, combined with its immense size, luxury, and historical significance, makes the Esders Roadster one of the most valuable and sought-after vintage cars in the world. Its low production volume was due to its massive cost and limited market for such an oversized luxury vehicle during the early 1930s, especially during the Great Depression, ensuring its exclusivity even today among collectors.

You can also visit the official website of Bugatti Logo Bugatti